The Healer Book 1
by Luna Silvereyes
Summary: Sesshomaru falls deathly ill and a terrified Rin leaves to find help for him. She meets InuYasha and the gang and under the guidence of Myoga, they seek out an enigmatic halfdemon healer named Saeka, who is not what she seems and may be hiding something.
1. Temporary Blackness

The Healer 

An InuYasha fanfic. A/N: I do not own InuYasha. I only own the healer, and anyone else you don't recognize.

By Luna Silvereyes

Summary: Sesshomaru becomes ill and Rin, suddenly reminded of her promise she made to herself to Jaken, realizes it's up to her to save him.

Temporary Blackness 

" Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin called. " Look what I found!" she found Sesshomaru resting against a tall oak tree. She was holding a pink water lily. He glanced at it.

" I see." He muttered. Rin smiled and ran off again, back into the shallow part of the river where she was trying to snare a fish. Sesshomaru sighed. It had been almost two months since he'd used the Tenseiga and for some strange reason, he didn't regret restoring the human girl to life. He still wondered, even now what exactly Tenseiga had meant when it implored him to save the girl's life. Normally, he ardently hated humans, but Rin….

He trailed off in thought. The whole concept was too confusing, even for him. His gaze fell upon Jaken sitting moodily atop a little earthen rise near where Rin was. Ah-Un wasn't too far off, munching berries of some kind. Sesshomaru vaguely hoped that whatever the dragon was eating wasn't poisonous. He knew how fond of that dragon Rin was. He glanced at the river again. Rin had snagged a fish and was struggling to hold onto it. Surprising himself, he chuckled a bit when it slipped out of her grasp and escaped back into the river. Undeterred, she went right back into the activity.

Sesshomaru stared out at the horizon, brooding. He noticed that he did this a lot lately, ever since the last run-in with InuYasha, his younger half-demon brother, who also happened to be his half-brother. Despite what he and his friends seemed to think, Sesshomaru didn't despise InuYasha. He wanted InuYasha to succumb to his demonic heritage and become stronger. But InuYasha continued to protect his friends with a passion. Sesshomaru knew that his work was indeed cut out for him.

" Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken's gravelly voice floated over the meadow. Sesshomaru turned a bit. " Yes?" he asked as Jaken approached. Jaken opened his mouth to speak when Rin came dashing up, a fish dangling from her hands. " I caught one!" she was saying. Jaken threw her an irritated look. " Lord Sesshomaru, when will we be leaving? It looks like a storm approaches." He said, gesturing to the sky where ominous black clouds were gathering. Sesshomaru nodded and got to his feet slowly.

Suddenly, his vision went completely black for a moment and his hand flashed out and gripped the tree trunk for support. He couldn't see! He turned his head this way and that, but no matter where he looked, he could see nothing but inky black darkness.

" Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin's voice said from behind him. He didn't recall turning around. " My Lord, are you all right?"

Sesshomaru turned around again to where her voice was coming from. He stood motionless. Gradually, as seconds passed, his vision became clearer and he found he could see once again. He looked down at Rin and Jaken, staring up at him with some alarm etched into their faces. Sesshomaru shook his head.

" My Lord," Jaken said. " You acted as though you were disoriented. Are you feeling well?"

" Of course. Don't say such foolish things. We're going." He murmured. Rin and Jaken exchanged looks and Rin went to fetch Ah-Un. Minutes later, all of them were back on the road, Rin seated atop Ah-Un and Jaken walking several feet behind Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru puzzled over the strange occurrence with his eyes. What on earth had happened to him? What had caused that moment of blindness? Could it be that something was wrong with him? After all, he mused. Demons became ill too. Look at what happened to Jaken after Naraku's poisonous insects stung him. Sesshomaru shook his head again. He wasn't naïve, so he knew that even he wasn't powerful enough to avoid sickness, but the chances of him becoming sick were very slim, nonetheless. It was fairly easy for humans to become ill, for their bodies were weak and frail. His body was stronger and made to last for many hundreds of years more than he'd already lived. He disregarded the thought and continued down the road.

Rin watched Sesshomaru as he walked slowly before them. That wasn't unusual. Sesshomaru usually kept a pretty slow pace anyway. It wasn't anything to worry about. But the strange behavior earlier had signaled to Rin that something could be wrong with Lord Sesshomaru. He had never acted like that before. She found it hard to admit to herself; she was worried.

Neither one of them noticed Sesshomaru's head begin to droop.

A/N: This is my first ever chapter story, and it's tricky uploading chapters for me because the whole series is already almost written, whereas the stories are usually updated and posted before their completion. But to all of you readers, this is only book 1. There are several more and though they are hard to find, they will be here. Please review and tell me what you think.


	2. Terrible Occurence

Terrible Occurrence

That night, Rin and Jaken both helped to build a fire while Sesshomaru was wandering around somewhere. Rin never questioned his whereabouts. He always returned to them and tonight would be no exception.

As though on cue, Sesshomaru appeared from the trees and tossed something to Rin. It was a little bundle. Curious, she opened it. " Ah!" she exclaimed when she saw the contents. It was some wild mushrooms and some figs he'd obviously found while walking.

" Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru." She called. He nodded and sat down a ways away. He leaned against a tree and watched them while Rin cooked a few of the mushrooms and Jaken burned himself again trying to take one out once they had cooked. Rin took a mushroom from the fire and nibbled it. She turned to Jaken and started a tongue-twister game she had grown fond of doing over the past few days. Sesshomaru had two phases when it came to this game. He either listened, or he didn't, but he never took part and Rin, thankfully, never asked. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest all around him. It was unusual for a demon to pay attention to such things, but then again, he chided himself, he was an unusual demon.

Suddenly feeling dizzy, he caught himself trying to sleep, which was something he avoided whenever he could.

Now he was sure something was wrong.

Rin finished off the last of her mushroom. She sat back, satisfied and stared at Jaken, trying to find a cool place to bite into his mushroom. Rin giggled. She turned to look at Sesshomaru. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving. She frowned curiously and got up. " Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked tentatively. Jaken noticed this. He jumped up and stepped between her and Sesshomaru. " He is sleeping." He said. Rin cocked an eyebrow. " But, master Jaken, Lord Sesshomaru never sleeps. At least not that we know of."

Jaken's face fell. He whirled around to look at Sesshomaru again. He rushed over and gently shook him by the shoulder. " Lord Sesshomaru! Awaken! Please!"

Sesshomaru didn't move. Jaken moved away. Sesshomaru was breathing, but even in the times that he did sleep, he never slept deeply. The sound of an ant treading on a fresh green leaf could awaken him in nothing flat. Rin crept closer.

" Lord Sesshomaru?" she called, worry growing on her voice. She placed her little hand on his shoulder to try to wake him up. As she did, instead of waking up, Sesshomaru slumped over onto his side, unmoving. Rin screamed.

" He's dead! He's dead! He's dead! He's dead! He's dead!" she shrieked over and over again, shaking her head and covering her eyes. Jaken yelled in fright and hurried to Sesshomaru's other side to his face to try to wake him up again. Jaken shook him once more, harder. Sesshomaru still didn't move.

" Oh no! This is terrible! Horrible! Inconceivable! No! Lord Sesshomaru! Please! Don't do this! Please, if this is a joke it isn't funny!" Jaken yelled in Sesshomaru's face. Sesshomaru remained still. Rin was hiccupping as she approached closer. She knelt down a foot away from the hysterical Jaken and gingerly lifted Sesshomaru's wrist. She checked for a pulse, praying that even demons had normal pulses. To her great relief and surprise, he did in fact have one, though it was weak, about seventeen easily detectable beats from his heart every minute, which meant that it was struggling to pump life force through his body. Rin stood up and ran to Ah-Un, who was sitting up and watching curiously. She leapt into the saddle. Jaken turned around.

" Rin, where do you think you're going?" he demanded.

" I'm going to get help! Stay with Lord Sesshomaru!" she called as Ah-Un took off into the night sky. Jaken watched helplessly, wanting to stop her, but knowing deep within his little heart that she was making sense, that Lord Sesshomaru needed help for once and that things could get a lot worse if she didn't go. Sighing deeply, he sat down beside his fallen lord and positioned the staff on his shoulder. He stared at Sesshomaru's unusually serene expression.

" Oh, hurry Rin." He mumbled.


	3. Any Help When Desperate

Any Help When Desperate

Kagome and InuYasha were arguing again, as usual. Shippo was eating a grilled fish and watching with half-closed eyes, his head resting on his elbow.

" Kagome, you're always getting in the way in my battles! Why can't you learn to just stay where it's safe?"

" Are you saying I'm weak?" she spat.

" No, I'm saying that whatever I battle with is my business and that you should stay out of it!"

" I can do what I want, InuYasha, you don't control me!" Kagome yelled.

" Not if you want to stay alive, you don'!"

" Is that a threat?"

" Maybe!"

" Sit, boy!"

Sango and Miroku winced as InuYasha fell straight into the muddy part of the lake. Shippo sighed as he nibbled on the fish bones. " Don't those two ever take a break?" he drawled.

" I wish." Sango said as she stroked Kirara who mewed with genuine pleasure. Sango sighed too. " Shippo, pass me a fish."

As Kagome and InuYasha dragged themselves back to the group, Shippo looked up suddenly. A large dragon was flying toward them with a rider on it. Kagome stared at it. " What's that?" she wondered.

" Is it Entei?" InuYasha demanded. Kagome shook her head. " No, Entei would be glowing. This seems to be a dragon."

" Well," Miroku said. " Then this could only be one person."

" Who?" asked Sango.

" Sesshomaru." Kagome said. " I wonder what he wants."

They all got up as the dragon landed. But instead of Sesshomaru, a little girl in an orange and white, checkered kimono jumped off and hurried to them. She seemed out of breath.

" Lady Kagome!" she cried desperately. It was Rin.

" Rin!" Sango exclaimed in surprise as the little girl came to stop before them, panting hard. Kagome knelt down. " Rin, what's happened?" she asked quickly. Shippo hurried over and offered her a grilled fish. She shook her head.

" Please, all of you." She wheezed. " You have to come right away!"

" Why?"

" He's…sick." She gasped. They all exchanged glances.

" Who?"

" Lord Sesshomaru! Earlier today, he acted really funny, like he couldn't see and then just a little while ago, he fell asleep and when we tried to wake him up, he just fell over and wouldn't move! I'm afraid that he's dying!" Rin cried, all panicky. Kagome pulled the little girl into a hug. " Shh, it's okay. Where is he?" she asked. InuYasha made a face and a weird sound of shock. " What? We're actually going to help that pain? No way!"

" InuYasha! Sit!" Kagome snapped. InuYasha flopped to the ground. But he jumped back up as if nothing had happened. " Kagome," he said between breaths. " That won't stop me from stopping you going!"

" InuYasha, we have to help!" Kagome said. Rin pulled away from Kagome and approached InuYasha who looked down at her with contempt.

" Please." She said quietly. Tears were falling slowly from her eyes. "Please, InuYasha. You have to help him."

" Not a chance, kid." InuYasha turned away. Rin followed him. " Please!" she cried more desperately. The others all watched curiously, knowing that there wasn't too great of a chance that Rin would get a positive. She ran in front of him, blocking his way. " Please! Listen to me!" she cried. InuYasha stopped, staring down at her.

" InuYasha, I realize that you don't care for Sesshomaru. But hear me out. Lord Sesshomaru is all I have. I don't want him to die! My mother and father are both dead and I don't want to see Lord Sesshomaru die too! Please! Please help!" she begged.

She was crouched down at his feet, sobbing hysterically. InuYasha gazed down at her, a look of concern etched on his face, replacing the anger that had been there previously.

Finally, he sighed and lifted the girl up. " Fine. We'll come. Show us the way." He grumbled. Rin shrieked happily and threw her arms around his neck, surprising him. " Thank you, InuYasha! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she yelled.

Kirara transformed into the saber-toothed being and Sango, Miroku, Kagome, Shippo (who reluctantly left his fish) and InuYasha all climbed on while Rin climbed onto Ah-Un's back.

" Follow me!' she cried. They all took off and Kirara followed Ah-Un carefully through the darkness. Rin stared ahead determinedly.

_Please Lord Sesshomaru, hang in there. I'm coming and I'm bringing help._


	4. Baffling Illness

Baffling Illness

Jaken was watching for any change in Sesshomaru's position. So far, nothing. Sesshomaru continued to lie still. But he hadn't worsened either, so that was a good sign in itself. He sighed.

A strong wind suddenly tore through the camp and he shivered. " I wonder what that was?' he murmured.

" Master Jaken!" Rin called from above him. He glanced up as Ah-Un came to a stop in the clearing. Beside Ah-Un, a large, yellow saber-toothed cat came to a stop and then shrunk to less than half its size after several people dismounted. Jaken's jaw dropped. He whirled around to Rin. " You brought InuYasha and his mortal friends to help Lord Sesshomaru?" he yelled. Rin shrugged. " I knew I had to find help quickly, master Jaken." She said apologetically. Jaken faced InuYasha and Kagome who had come over to talk to him. " I'm sorry, InuYasha, but we do not need your services." He said sarcastically. InuYasha reached down and picked him up.

" Look, imp. This little girl sounded pretty distraught. I don't know why this human tags along with Sesshomaru, but I can help _her_ at least." He growled.

He flinched, dropped Jaken suddenly and slapped at his neck.

" Myoga!" he said.

" Hello…InuYasha." He flea groaned. Myoga sat up in his palm and Jaken and Rin looked on curiously.

" Myoga, what do you want?" InuYasha said accusingly.

" I've been in your hair. I heard what Rin said about Sesshomaru. Where is he, actually?"

" He's over there." Rin said, pointing to the tree, where Sesshomaru still lay, motionless. Sango and Kagome gasped. Miroku hummed low. InuYasha just stared. He'd never seen Sesshomaru look like this. Only one word came to mind and even though he hated the demon, he was ashamed to even think it: weak. For a brief moment, he actually felt a connection as his brother and something like concern and worry flickered through InuYasha's heart.

" What happened, child?" Myoga said to Rin.

" I don't know. He just started acting weird." She said, choking up again. Kagome knelt down and placed her hand on Rin's shoulder, all the while thinking: This_ must be something bad if it can fell Sesshomaru._ Rin started crying again. Jaken stared forlornly at Sesshomaru while Myoga jumped down and hopped over to Sesshomaru. He jumped up onto his head and peered around.

" Hmm. I can't really detect anything. Are you sure he hasn't already passed on?" he said.

Rin screamed and buried her face in Kagome's shirt. Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and InuYasha all shot him dirty looks. Myoga coughed. " Sorry, Rin. He hasn't passed on. He's breathing. It seems he's slipped into something like a coma. He must have been very sick, but too proud to admit it."

" That sounds like Sesshomaru." Miroku said. " What do you think ails him?"

" I'm not too sure, but if it can knock Sesshomaru down, it's got to be bad. Sesshomaru is a very strong demon and he doesn't easily become ill. He isn't stupid however and knows that even he isn't immune to illness."

" So what do we do to cure him?" Sango asked. Rin sniffled and stared at Sesshomaru, her tiny fists still clinging to Kagome.

" I do know of a healer who lives up by Mt. Hakurei. She is an expert in all diseases and medicine and just might know what illness he's contracted and how to cure it." Myoga said, rubbing his chin. " Her name is Saeka. She's elusive and prefers to keep away from people and other demons, but I believe she might have what it takes to rid Sesshomaru of this sickness before it's too late."

" Her name is Saeka, you say?" Miroku said. " Why does that name sound so familiar?"

" I suggest you go to her and ask her about it. If you give her a single strand of his hair, she can detect exactly what it is that ails him." He said. He turned and grasped a strand of silvery white hair and gave a tiny tug. He held it up to them.

" Take this to Saeka. It's a strand of Sesshomaru's hair."

Rin stepped forward and gingerly removed it. She held it tightly, afraid she'd lose what seemed to be the only key to saving Sesshomaru's life.

" Thank you, tiny flea. Your heart is ten times your size" She said. Myoga bowed to hide a blush. " Thank you yourself, Rin." He said. He hopped up onto her shoulder. " I'll guide you to the mountain." He said. He turned to the others.

" Kagome, and Sango, can we take Kirara?" he called. As a response, Kirara transformed and stood ready. Sango and Kagome climbed on and helped Rin up as well. Rin took one final look at her beloved Lord and closed her eyes to keep from crying again. Sango put her hand on Rin's shoulder. " He'll be okay, Rin." She said encouragingly. Rin smiled.

" Master InuYasha!" Myoga called as Kirara began to rise up. InuYasha looked up at them. " Yeah?"

" Make sure that Sesshomaru doesn't get moved. He must stay exactly as he is!"

" Sure, whatever." InuYasha mumbled. Kirara leapt forward and dashed through the sky toward Mt. Hakurei, several leagues away. Rin stared forward, unable to banish Lord Sesshomaru from her mind.


	5. Healer Saeka

Healer Saeka

Deep in a cave hidden away at the base of Mt. Hakurei, a young girl was sitting outside painting a young doe and her fawn standing perfectly still nearby.

" That's it." She muttered, shifting position. She brushed a strand of silky brown hair from her face and narrowed her eyes at the painting. She looked up to see the doe and fawn again. But to her surprise, they'd both vanished.

" Arghhh!" She yelled. She threw her painting into the bushes and stomped into her cave.

As she was about to close the curtain over the entrance, a great gust of wind blew in and whipped the curtain out of her grasp. She shielded her eyes and yelled, " Who's there? I'm armed, you know!"

She opened her eyes to see a large yellow cat standing before her cave with three girls riding it, one with a giant boomerang hanging off her shoulder, one with a bow and quiver full of arrows and a little girl in a checkered kimono who jumped off and rushed at her, her fist extended with something in it. The girl with the arrows ran after her. As Saeka watched, something tiny and black leapt off the girl's shoulder and perched on her own. Saeka's eyes widened. " Myoga?" she exclaimed.

" Hello, Saeka." The flea said politely. She picked him up and stared at him.

" What brings you all here?" she asked, regarding his companions.

" They are Kagome, Sango and Rin. They are here to get some medicine."

" For what?"

" I don't know exactly. I couldn't detect anything in the victim's body."

" Well, then how am I supposed to diagnose a sickness?" Saeka snapped. Rin stepped forward coyly. She held out the long white hair. " Healer, please use this. It's a hair from Lord Sesshomaru." She said. Saeka dropped Myoga and took the hair. She gave them a look and motioned for them to follow her.

The inside of the cave was sparsely decorated. Here and there were a few tapestries or poor quality. There was a hearth with a spit and a pot and many jars empty, half full or full lying around. Saeka swept a few empty jars aside and bade them sit. They obeyed.

" So this is a hair of the stricken one, is it not?" she said. Rin nodded.

" Yes. Lord Sesshomaru." She said in a croaky voice. Saeka inspected the hair. As they all watched, two long white whip-like structures suddenly grew out of her head and reached across the room to grab a glass jar filled with something pink. She pulled it closer to her and took a pinch out and curled the whips behind her to hang down her back. She noticed them staring. " These are just extra appendages that act as arms." She explained. She raised the hair and laid it across the pinch of pink dust. A little cloud of gray smoke appeared and Saeka stared at it. Gradually, the smoke began to turn green, then red and finally, a horrible shade of brown and black. Saeka removed the hair from the dust, dropped the powder into the pot on the spit and sighed. " Okay. There's good news and bad news about your Lord Sesshomaru's predicament." She said. They all leaned forward curiously. Saeka stirred the contents of the bowl and dropped the hair in. Rin gulped as she watched.

" Now. Which one of you knows this victim well?" Saeka asked. They all pointed to Rin. Saeka eyed her. " You're familiar with this demon." She said.

" How'd you know he was a demon?" Rin asked.

" Because what he has is often fatal when contracted by a human. The smoke would simply have turned gray if he weren't a demon, for it would have already killed a human."

Rin's face registered panic and Saeka noticed this. Her features softened considerably. " But, you want the news?"

" Yes."

" All right. The good news is, the disease is curable."

Rin screamed happily.

" The bad news is, I can't give you any medicine. It has to be injected through a vein in the wrist and if done incorrectly, the antidote could easily become a deadly poison. It's that unstable and it's taken me several decades to get it right. I can't tell you how many raccoons I've killed accidentally with the poison." She rambled. Rin's face scrunched up to keep from crying again.

" If you allow me to come with you back to where the victim lies, I will be able to administer the antidote myself."

" What does Sesshomaru have exactly?" Kagome asked.

" It depends entirely on the strain. Young girl, what were his symptoms?"

" He seemed to go blind earlier in the day and he fell asleep, which he almost never does."

" Hmm. This could be worse than I thought. Let me check my cultures."

She got up and went to the shelves, checking each and every bottle and muttering to herself while the three girls watched. Finally, she let out "Aha!" and turned to face them, holding a little dish filled with a golden liquid. She sat down and poured a little drop into her hand for them to see.

" This is a disease caused by bacteria not discovered yet by many humans and almost all demons. I've called it The Crush. What it does is it slowly shuts the body down from the inside out, starting with the brain and moving downward. As it multiplies, it gradually slows functions necessary to the human and or humanoid body and the victim slips into a coma. Like your Lord Sesshomaru did, he seemingly went to sleep and then never woke up again. He didn't actually go to sleep, it's more like his brain did."

" Like it took a break?" Rin said.

" Something like that. You see, when you sleep, your brain actually stays active. In this case, it's kind of like both his body and his brain went to sleep. If he stays like this, he could die from starvation or dehydration."

" So will you come with us to help him?" Rin begged. Saeka smiled.

" Of course. Just let me pack the medicine and I'll meet you outside."

A/N: This is yet another chapter of the fateful story of The Healer and her secrets. Just who is this mysterious Saeka? I'll tell you…in the next posts! Please R&R! This is only book 1 out of several others that I will continue to post.


	6. Promising Actions

Promising Actions

A/N: I'm sure you all know that I do not own InuYasha. I only own Saeka. She's mine, so nobody can take her! Anyhoo, here's the next chapter.

InuYasha was staring gloomily into the fire. He wasn't sure whether to feel bad about what his brother was going through, or elated. He'd never gotten along with Sesshomaru that well, but InuYasha supposed that even Sesshomaru didn't deserve to suffer like this. If anyone did, it was Naraku.

InuYasha turned his gaze to the unconscious form of Sesshomaru lying several feet off. Myoga had instructed that Sesshomaru not be moved. From their vantage point, it seemed like the demon was merely asleep.

" InuYasha." Miroku's voice awoke him, as though from a bad dream.

" Yeah?"

" Are you at all concerned about Sesshomaru? I mean, after all, he is your brother."

" I guess so."

" You don't really care for him all that much."

" Not really. But I guess you're right, he is my brother."

Miroku raised an eyebrow. InuYasha never openly admitted that Sesshomaru was his brother. Miroku was surprised that even Sesshomaru admitted it. He'd heard him do so before, but never InuYasha.

InuYasha looked up suddenly and then leaped to his feet. Jaken stirred fitfully several feet away. He glanced up ad gasped.

" It's Kagome, Sango and Rin!" InuYasha yelled. " They've brought someone with them."

Indeed, Kirara landed and the three girls plus a new unknown one jumped off. Kirara growled and transformed into cute Kirara. The foreign girl bowed to InuYasha. He could see from the strange white whip-like tendrils growing out of her head and hanging delicately behind her, ending in a tiny curl that she was a demon, or a half-human at least. He eyed her suspiciously.

" Are you Saeka?" he grumbled. She nodded.

" Yes and you are related to this Sesshomaru. I can tell by your white hair and scent. Where is the stricken one?" She said with a tilt of her head, her words proving her blood was that of at least a half-demon.

InuYasha gestured to Sesshomaru a few feet away. Jaken was standing close by, staring down at him worriedly. He jumped and aimed the staff at Saeka as she approached. She brushed him aside and knelt down.

" Hmm." She said. Rin came closer and stopped beside her.

" Is he okay?" she asked shakily.

" I don't know. He has a particularly dangerous strain. I'm probably never going to find out how he contracted it in the first place, but what I do know is that there's a chance I arrived too late and that his system has already begun permanent shut-down."

She reached through her pack. Rin was crying again.

" He's going to die!" she yelled pitifully.

" Maybe, maybe not. If he doesn't die, the worst that could happen, short of a miracle anyway is that he'll lose some of his power due to brain damage from lack of energy for so long and he could forget some of his memory, but other than that, he'll probably be fine."

She removed a vial of red liquid. She then pulled out what looked to Kagome who was watching from several feet away, very much like a syringe. She dipped the needle into the vial and filled it with the red liquid. She carefully took hold of Sesshomaru's right arm and exposed the wrist. She placed the needle against the skin and slowly injected the liquid into his system while Rin watched from behind covered eyes. Saeka noticed this. " Relax, child. Rin, right? I can never remember names. Be calm, I have done this many, many times, far too many to count. I know exactly what I'm doing."

She emptied the syringe and slid it out of his wrist. She set his hand back on the ground and stood up. She took the needle out of the syringe and placed it in her pocket. "I'll need to dispose of it later. I'll need to get a more sterile needle for the second dose in a few hours." She said, more to herself than anyone. Rin watched her leave and sighed. _Lord Sesshomaru_, she thought._ Please don't die. Please let the medicine work._

Across the clearing, InuYasha was observing with obvious curiosity. Saeka had worked remarkably fast. He wondered whether the medicine would actually work on Sesshomaru. Once again, InuYasha was torn between caring or not whether his brother recovered or died in a seemingly endless sleep.

Saeka sat down a ways away and pulled a notebook out of her pack. She started scribbling something down in it. It was a crudely made book, just reeds flattened, dried and sewn together to make a book. After awhile, she set it down, lay down on the ground and fell asleep. Kagome was the only one awake by now. She had seen Saeka writing something in her logbook. She had to admit, she was curious as to what the girl had written. Carefully, so as not to wake the others, she got up, crossed the clearing and lifted the book from the ground and away from Saeka. She took a seat and opened it. It was filled with entries from past healings dating back several weeks since the journal she held replaced a previous one. Kagome wondered how many the girl had written over the years. She was obviously a healing demon, so she'd clearly been alive for hundreds of years, if not at least decades. Kagome scanned the pages of Saeka's neat handwriting:

Dear Journal,

Today, using my white magic and the powers I inherited as a demon of

healing, I was able to restore a young human boy to life after he'd been devoured by a giant, flesh-eating scorpion demon. His mother and father were distraught, which was to be expected, but the boy, surprisingly was virtually unhurt, save for the death. I used special spells woven from the ancient Charter to repair the damage and bribe the spirits to allow safe return to his parent's arms. The boy's name was Hiku. He said he's going to pay me back someday. I hope I never see him again.

Dear Journal,

This time, I was called to a demon-slayer's village to eradicate a terrible plague that afflicted the people. It was like a mixture of measles from the other era and a type of virus caused by eating foul poultry. I tried to explain to the people after I had finished that to eat uncooked meat was not safe, but they drove me out without so much as a thanks. As a response, I assumed my true demonic form and obliterated the village, sparing only one small child who is studying to be my apprentice and stays with my grandmother. Her name is Kirila. I do hope she can master the art of healing before the time runs out on me. Even as I write, my true self I keep harbored is growing stronger. Just because I'm a demon of healing doesn't mean I'm harmless.

Dear Journal,

This was the worst one yet. I was called to drive an evil spirit from the body of a tiny girl named Tsukiko. She threw such a fit when she saw me, that I'm not perfectly convinced she was even stricken at all. I gave her what was actually just a colored stick of sugar cane and told the family to just let her suck on it, giving her only water to drink for the next hour. I only did this because she was simply throwing a tantrum, she wasn't sick at all. The family gave me only what I asked for, a little money and one small fish. Then I went on my way. I stopped at my grandmother's to check up on Kirila. But she remembered me only in my true form and was scared stiff, so grandmother told me to give it some time and to leave for a while.

Kagome flipped through the various pages, casting a wary eye on the sleeping Saeka now and then. But the girl never stirred. She came upon several entries filled with gruesomely accurate details of different healings done by Saeka. A few of them even included illustrations so detailed, that she made faces of disgust and turned the page as quickly and quietly as she could. Finally, she came to the pages that Saeka had just written in, the one sure to include information on Sesshomaru's illness. Her eyes widened as she read the entries in these pages, far in the back, signaling the book's impending retirement.

Dear Journal,

I feel like I'm dying. Part of me continues to expire whenever I heal someone deathly ill. Yesterday, I was summoned to a castle in the hills where the Lady was about to have her first child. Now, midwifery never was and never will be my calling, so I let the Lady's personal maids deal with that. But when the child arrived silent, and the lady began panicking, I was forced to reassure her that sometimes, perfectly healthy babies emerge silent as a tomb. It isn't always a bad thing when the child does not cry. Sure as the day is long, when I checked the baby for a pulse and healthy blood, it seems she brought a fine healthy girl into the world. It's funny, the lady named the girl after me. Unfortunately, the lady began experiencing problems and found she couldn't breathe. I managed to get my healing water out in time to save her, but she'd slipped into another reality from brain damage. The lord of the castle was very angry indeed. He called me a witch and had me banished after taking away my instruments. He also gave his daughter, the girl named Saeka to an old couple living far to the west. Now and then, I check up on the girl I saved. She has grown into a happy, healthy young woman, about to have her own first child. I can sense she will not need my services, for she has indeed heard of me, and our 'coincidental names'. As for me, I am glad that at least _she_ is happy.

Dear Journal,

This is terrible. I assumed my true form for an hour, hour and a half and what happens? A stupid little boy sees and runs and tells the villagers that 'a great deadly dragon is on the loose'. Criminy! Can I go nowhere without getting driven out? And to make matters worse, I fell for one of those bear clamps. I'm lucky my foot wasn't cut off. Those things hurt. I'm in too much pain to write much now. Till later.

Dear Journal,

I was sitting in my cave today when a large demon cat appeared with three riders and the flea, Myoga. A little girl and her companions informed me of a sick demon and the little girl gave me a strand of his hair. I was surprised. From the texture of the hair, I can tell that this demon is quite young for a youkai, but it's pure white, to the core. When I tested the hair, I found that he has a direct strain of one of my more deadly cases. It's distantly related to Ebola and gradually vanishes as mankind progresses, so humans will never have to worry about this strain infecting anyone. But the truth be told, I don't like what the sickness has done to this demon. It seems from the stage of illness that he's had it in his system for quite some time now, dormant until recently. I'd say it broke through its dormancy just about a week ago and he only started feeling the effects a few days later. I feel sick, myself, because I might lose this one. The little girl, Rin seems scared to death that he'll die. I wonder if he's her brother or something? She acts like he was her father, but this girl is pure human, so that can't be the case. But I don't want to lose this demon. Something is telling me that it is crucial he survives, or something bad will happen. Besides, he and his friends might be the only ones who can help me.

Kagome gasped and dropped the book. She snatched it up again and placed it by the girl as she slept on. Kagome got to her feet and shakily made her way over to the dying fire, unable to forget what she'd just read. _So Sesshomaru's illness is worse than she thought._ Kagome thought to herself._ I wonder how InuYasha will react to this?_

She turned over and tried to slip into sleep.

Meanwhile, Saeka stared out of the corner of her eye where Kagome had been moments before, reading the possible death certificate of the demon.

A/N: How was this? I keep getting reviews from people saying they like the story. I owe this whole thing to Kinkatia and I HIGHLY recommend her amazing stories. In fact, it's because of my good friend Kinkatia that these stories even got off the ground. There was a whole other, very weak plot I had in mind before this which probably would have happened if I hadn't had some great inspiration. Thank you Kinkatia!


	7. Sesshomaru Awakens

Sesshomaru Awakens

Kagome awoke to the smell of something cooking on the fire. She sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. Saeka was up and cooking something that looked like some sort of little creature. Kagome glanced around her. InuYasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, Jaken and Rin were all still asleep. Rin was curled up a few feet away from Sesshomaru, who still lay exactly as he had been when they arrived. Jaken was leaning up against Ah-Un who had his head draped over a fluffy bush.

Saeka, by now, had become aware of her presence. She smiled at Kagome.

" Good morning. Sleep well?" she asked merrily. Kagome smiled and nodded. " Mm-hmm. What are you making?"

" I found this gopher thing outside the clearing. It's safe to eat, but the fish are nowhere to be found and I thought you all might want something. I have some fruit for myself. Would you like some of that, or the gopher?"

" Actually, the fruit sounds great if you don't mind." Kagome admitted. Saeka grinned. " No problem. Kagome, right? Good. Here, would you like an apple, orange, pear or peach?"

" I'll have a peach."

Kagome took the peach Saeka handed her while Saeka peeled the apple and stuck the others back into the bag. She took a bite. Then she fixed Kagome with an icy stare. " Kagome, Don't take this the wrong way, but why were you reading my logbook last night?" she asked. Kagome found swallowing hard.

" I'm sorry, Saeka. I was curious as to what you had written in there about Sesshomaru. I truly am sorry."

Saeka's expression softened. " That's okay. You already know I'm a demon and you've probably figured out that I'm not entirely docile." She gave a wry smile.

" It said something about a dragon." Kagome said, taking a bite of the peach. " Is that your true form?"

" Yes. I'm part dragon, actually, with my mother's healing abilities, and (she giggled a bit) my dad's temper."

" You mentioned something in there about a disease called, Ebola. Is that what Sesshomaru has?" she said with a glance over at the unconscious demon. Saeka nodded. " He has a thought-to-be extinct strain of it that only existed in the darker ages. I thought it had died out. I suppose he was a carrier for it. Provided I caught it in time, none of you will get it." She said kindly.

" But will Sesshomaru be all right?"

She nodded. " He should be. In fact, it's about time to give him another dose of the medicine. The first one kept him from getting any worse. This one should at least help him return to a normal sleep. Looks like he needs the rest anyway." She said, getting up and using her long tendrils to scoop the syringe, medicine and a new needle out of her pack as she made her way over. Kagome watched as she filled the syringe with the red liquid, measuring carefully. Kagome wondered where she got all of this modern equipment. She lifted his right arm and carefully placed the needle stop the vein, injecting the liquid quickly. She removed the needle again and sat back to wait. Kagome crept over. As they watched, Sesshomaru suddenly seemed to change. Before, he'd appeared as though dead. Now, he looked genuinely asleep. He was even breathing normally again. Saeka smiled. " Good. The others will notice that instantly. You should wake them up, Kagome and tell them that I think I caught it in time and that he's going to make it."

InuYasha awoke a little while later to see Kagome and Saeka talking quietly over by the edge of the clearing. Miroku and Sango and the others were still asleep. Jaken was upside down against a tree and Rin was leaning against Ah-Un about three or four feet from Sesshomaru. InuYasha focused hateful gaze on his brother's body, lying exactly as he had been when they found him. But as InuYasha looked a little closer, he saw something different. Sesshomaru seemed to be just…sleeping. He somehow gave the impression that he was no longer in a coma. Could that mean the medicine worked? InuYasha crept closer. Yes, there was no doubt about it. Sesshomaru was now merely sleeping. Fitfully, but sleeping nonetheless. Every so often, his eyes would move beneath the lids, as though he were following some event that he had no control over. InuYasha sat back and kept watch. He felt compelled to, after all, the demon was his brother. InuYasha supposed that, deep down inside, he did care about Sesshomaru as a brother. Even though their relationship had long since surpassed strained, he knew that Sesshomaru was and always would be his older brother. They were family, and what's more, they were the only family either of them had. InuYasha had never heard anything about Sesshomaru's mother and their father and his own mother were both dead. There were presumably no other relatives. As InuYasha watched his brother sleep, he felt a little more at ease around the demon and it felt somewhat comforting. He hoped that when Sesshomaru woke up, that feeling would stay.

A small yawn nearby signaled the awakening of Rin. InuYasha listened to her gentle footsteps as they approached and she sat down.

" Hello InuYasha." She said pleasantly. But he could sense the worry in her voice, attempting to mask itself with her usual cheery composure.

" Hey Rin." He said. " How'd you sleep?"

" I had nightmares." She admitted, hugging her knees. InuYasha glanced at her. " What about?"

" The night my parents were killed." She said. InuYasha's eyebrows lifted in surprise. He always thought that Sesshomaru had either kidnapped her or that she'd run away. " What happened?" he asked somberly.

" Bandits. They killed my mother and father and my two brothers. I was outside gathering herbs for tea. I knew what had happened."

" How did that lead you to Sesshomaru?"

" A wolf-demon attacked the village and ordered his wolves to kill everyone. I ran, but the wolves caught up with me and…" She trailed off without finishing. InuYasha was glowering. _Koga_, he was thinking.

" Let me guess. Sesshomaru smelled the scent of your blood on the air and followed it to you?"

" I suppose. You see, I'd found him in the woods. He was badly injured, so I brought him food and water. He kept trying to get me to leave, but I wanted to help. I was trying to run to him the day the wolves attacked."

" Oh, I gotcha. He found your body on the trail and remembered you, the human who tried to help him. I suppose he was compelled to save you. And he lets you travel with him?"

" Yes. I enjoy it. He always makes sure I'm safe, or doing well whenever he goes off for a bit. The night he slipped into the, um. What was it Saeka called it? Koma, or something? Well the day that happened, he brought me some mushrooms and figs he'd found." She said fondly. InuYasha had to fight hard not to smile. " So I guess he isn't such a bad guy after all." InuYasha muttered wryly.

Soft footsteps sounded behind him and Saeka stopped beside the half-demon. " Hello. Glad you're up. I see you've noticed the change." She said. InuYasha nodded.

" He'll be okay, right?" Rin squeaked. Saeka smiled and nodded. Rin jumped up and screamed happily, waking up Miroku and Sango and Shippo.

" What's happening? Are being attacked again?" Shippo murmured, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

" Lord Sesshomaru's going to be okay!" Rin cried as Kagome hurried over to see what was the matter. By now, even Jaken was awake, though he'd woken up a tad too late to hear the good news. Instead, he started griping. " What in the name of the Great Dog Demon is going on here?" he snapped. Everyone glanced at each other and started laughing.

_Dark. Dark, why is it so dark? Where am I? I feel as though I've been sleeping a hundred years. Stiff. Very stiff. I think I'm in a forest. What happened? All blurry, can't recall much, except that…something wrong! Something was wrong, but it isn't now. How can that be? I was dying. No, I was dead, wasn't I? _

_Laughter. Where's that laughter coming from? Rin? Is that her? I'd recognize her voice. I hear others. They're so familiar. InuYasha! He must be here! Why is he here? Could it be that he has come to take advantage of my temporary weakness? He'll pay with his life if he does. _

_It's still dark. Why? It can't be that late. Even so, I don't mind the darkness. I can't tell if my eyes are opened or shut. Am I still blind? Or what if I dreamed the whole thing? But how could I dream? I don't require sleep. _

_I'd better stand up. My eyes must be closed. I must get up. _

Rin suddenly gasped sharply. Everyone turned to look where she was staring. It was Sesshomaru. He was moving in his sleep, he was waking up! Jaken started yelling. " Lord Sesshomaru is okay! Oh thank the heavens!" he started to run over, but InuYasha caught him and held him back. " Jaken, give him some room, he's been sick, remember?" he snapped. Jaken grumbled under his breath, but had to agree that InuYasha was right. They all backed off to the cover of the shadows while Sesshomaru struggled to regain consciousness. First, his eyes opened and blinked several times in the morning sun. He shook his head slowly, trying to sit up. He slowly raised himself up with his one arm and braced against the tree behind him. Slowly, painfully, he managed to situate himself erect and take time to completely wake up. He turned his head slowly around, taking in his surroundings. He checked the swords in the sash at his waist to see that they were still there. Tenseiga and Tokijjin were exactly as he had left them. He tried to stand, but found that he was still too weak so he gave up for the time being.

Rin finally whimpered something and dashed out from the trees.

" Lord Sesshomaru!" she cried. " You're well again!"

" Rin?" he said quietly. " What happened?"

" You were really sick, Lord Sesshomaru. Why didn't you say anything to us?" she said. He didn't answer, but glanced to the side. " There are others here with you?" he said. Rin nodded. " Please don't be angry. I went to get help. I found InuYasha and his friends and a healer who gave you medicine to recover." She said. The others, knowing that their cover was blown, emerged from the trees. They all sat down a ways away, just to be on the safe side. Sesshomaru was unpredictable and it wasn't always good to trust his moods. Saeka kept a more closed distance. She wasn't as cautious. " Lord Sesshomaru, I presume." She said, bowing. " It is good that you have made an almost complete recovery."

" Who are you?" he demanded quietly.

" This is the healer who gave you the medicine. Her name is Saeka."

Sesshomaru cast a suspicious eye on the demon healer standing before him.

" What kind of demon are you?" he asked.

" A dragon demon." She responded, causing all but Kagome to show some form of surprise, such as a gasp, widening of eyes and such. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. He reflexively reached for his sword, Tokijjin. Saeka didn't move from her spot. " If you wish to attack me, wait at least until you have recovered. I am not simply a docile demon. If my fate is to die at your hands, I will not go down easy." She said icily. She turned and made her way to her pack, taking her journal out and opening it to the page with Sesshomaru's information on it. Sesshomaru's eyes followed her and then closed wearily, his hand still on his sword, Tokijjin.

A/N: Now, here's this one. Sesshomaru has awakened! But as you can tell, he isn't too fond of The Healer. I can't stress this enough; this is only book 1. As soon as this book is completely updated, and it should be soon, I'll post book 2. But in the meantime, enjoy and don't hesitate to review. I also don't mind flames, but I don't prefer them.


	8. Saeka's Life In The Balance

Saeka's Life In The Balance

Several days passed since Sesshomaru had first become ill and by now, he was able to walk around the clearing, provided he kept his hand on a tree here and there for those periods of momentary weakness. Kagome noted with interest that InuYasha was fond of hanging around while his brother was regaining his strength and yammering on about things happening on their search for the jewel fragments. Kagome realized that in his own wacky way, InuYasha was encouraging his brother to keep at it. She was even more surprised to realize that Sesshomaru was actually paying attention to what InuYasha was saying. Now and then, he'd nod understandingly or hum low to show he got this or that. But even in the comical stories, he never so much as smiled. This however, didn't surprise Kagome, or anyone else watching who know how Sesshomaru's moods could vary. They'd never seen him smile before, and they doubted they ever would.

Rin often walked beside Sesshomaru when InuYasha was asleep, keeping him company. Kagome wasn't sure whether he appreciated that or not. But he never told her to return to the fire, so she figured he didn't mind.

Saeka now wrote continuously in her journal, although she hid it deep in the forest at night before she went to sleep. Kagome didn't blame her. She'd really had no right to peek in it, no matter what the healer had written.

Jaken was a nervous wreck. He was continuously shaking hard and mumbling little tid-bits about whatever was on his mind and the only organism in the clearing that even seemed to care was the dragon, Ah-Un. Sometimes. Jaken would be seen muttering consistently to himself about nothing in particular. More often, he spent glowering at Saeka while she slept. Ever since Sesshomaru had awakened, Saeka had taken to sleeping with some sort of bamboo rod at her side, which Kagome figured was her weapon. Kagome had become suspicious that Saeka was scared of Sesshomaru, though she never showed any trace of emotion. During the day when the two of them were awake, Sesshomaru walking slowly around the clearing and Saeka writing in her journal or sewing something, Saeka always kept her distance. She would cast a wary eye at the demon whenever he approached, and sometimes, he would pause and stare down at her and her right back at him, though no words were ever exchanged. Then Sesshomaru would continue on and at these times, Saeka would get up and head off into the woods for a few hours. Whatever she was doing in this time, Kagome never dared to ask. At night, when Saeka would return, she would sit right down at her spot beneath the magnolia tree and fall asleep.

Kagome noted that Sesshomaru still required the medicine every now and then and when the time came to give it to him, Saeka always seemed hesitant, further enhancing Kagome's theory that she was afraid of him. She would always approach cautiously, and show him the medicine first. He would stare at it for a few seconds and allow his wrist to be injected with the liquid. Then Saeka would get up, go back to her tree, remove the needle, put a fresh one in its place, return it to the bag and go to sleep.

This routine went on for two days until one day Sesshomaru declared that he was well enough to leave. No one said anything, not even Jaken. But then, he was so certain that Sesshomaru's illness was something he had done, that he was too shaken to even care. Saeka was sitting in the clearing. She hadn't spoken at all for almost a day, but now she stood up to her full height and fixed him in her gaze.

" The Crush is stubborn. You should be absolutely stubborn. This disease has been known to eradicate demons as well as humans and now that the worst has probably past, I believe it's safe to say you are lucky to be alive, much less healthy." She said gravelly. Sesshomaru turned his head slightly to face her. " I thank you for helping me, half-breed though you are. But there is no more need for your services as a healer around here."

" Don't be stupid. If the strain you contracted is still active in your system, who's to say it won't cause you to suddenly drop down, dead before you hit the ground tomorrow, or the day after?" she snapped. Sesshomaru's golden eyes went cold and everyone braced. Even InuYasha knew better than to say anything now. Saeka would either be killed here and now, or be maimed for life.

" You may have the ability to heal, which by the way is unnatural for any sort of demon, but I am stronger than you take me for." Sesshomaru whispered menacingly. Saeka was not deterred. " I've never lost anyone before and I'm not about to start now. I will admit, you creep me out. Terrify me even. But I refuse to let my sworn enemy kill another. I won't be a bit surprised if you draw that sword now and strike me down where I stand, but I won't let The Crush kill another. I can sense it in the air and in others and it's still alive in you. You will die if you don't rid yourself of it entirely." She cried defiantly. Kagome watched the argument with glazed eyes, Viewing the different scenarios in her head, most of them seeing the red flash as Sesshomaru's sword slashed through Saeka's fragile body, throwing her to the end of the clearing and seeing her eyes grow cold and empty as death claimed her as his own, then, seeing Sesshomaru carelessly whip the blood off the blade with a quick swipe in the air, return it to its sheath and calmly walk away, leaving his rescuer lying in the clearing. Kagome shook her head to rid it of the horrible image of what could possibly happen to Saeka. She panicked as she realized she'd been out of touch with what was going on for several minutes and for a moment, she thought that what she had seen in her mind was true and that Saeka really was bleeding to death at the edge of the clearing with Sesshomaru holding his blood-stained sword, gazing blankly at her mangled body. But instead, Saeka was still standing, though Sesshomaru had placed his hand on Tokijjin's handle. Saeka was still defiant toward the demon. It was clear she wasn't about to let him die from some horrible disease she obviously had a terrible grudge against.

Saeka and Sesshomaru stood glaring at each other from several feet away. While it seemed that Sesshomaru would have full advantage, being a true demon, it was perfectly clear that Saeka, only a half-demon would be a pretty fair match in a battle, though Kagome could easily sense that Saeka would prefer to end this quietly. As they watched, Sesshomaru finally drew Tokijjin and brandished it before Saeka threateningly. " I warned you not to interfere." He said quietly, signaling an attack. Saeka stood perfectly still. Sesshomaru pulled the sword back, oblivious of all but Saeka. " Die." He finished. With lightning speed, he charged forward and Kagome screamed. Sango and Miroku leapt up, both knowing that it was too late to help Saeka. Rin whimpered and covered her eyes and Jaken seemed to recover from his paralytic trance and stare in awe. InuYasha stood, his mouth agape as he watched the unbelievable.

Saeka watched as the demon reached where she stood and swung the sword in a powerful arc at mid section, slicing through her like paper. Saeka's face registered slight surprise and pain as she stared into emptiness. Sesshomaru wrenched his sword back and stepped backward a ways. Saeka shook a little, and started to fall forward.

Suddenly, she seemed to glow with an intense light radiating from within her body and then, in an instant, she exploded in a gush of clear water. Everyone, even Sesshomaru showed genuine surprise, as not a single one of them had been expecting that. Where Saeka's body had stood, a large puddle of glacier water now rested. Sesshomaru approached carefully and stared down at it, baffled.

A gentle laugh echoed down from the trees and Sesshomaru's ears perked at the sound. He lifted his head to the upper right as a figure leapt down from the highest branches, coming to land over by the remains of the fire. Everyone stared, unbelieving. It was Saeka.

A/N: And there you have it. The eighth chapter, but certainly not the last. It's getting close though. I hope you are all enjoying this story. I keep getting reviews from people who really like it. Well it isn't over yet. Remember, this is only book 1. The next one will be updated soon.


	9. Saeka's Words

Saeka's Words

Sesshomaru stared at the healing demon as she started toward the group. She raised her hand and gently swung it toward herself. The water leapt off the ground and into her hand. She then dropped it onto the ground, a thick ball of ice. She turned to face Sesshomaru. " Demon, you should know better than to attack me. I saved you from death, which you fight using your healing sword, the Tenseiga. You aren't even fully recovered and you think that you have the strength to defeat me. Under normal circumstances, and had I not had the wisdom to produce a water replica, you would indeed have greater strength and prowess than I." She said proudly. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. " You survived a direct blow from my sword, Tokijjin. With a water replica." He said. Saeka nodded. " Correct. You certainly thought that you had me there. I can tell by the vibrations your heart is sending through the earth."

" What are you?"

" I have told you, I am a dragon demon. If you are wondering whether I have a true form or not, I do. But I hate to use it, so I keep it hidden."

She turned and headed over to her bag. She raised it off the ground and shouldered it. " Now, however, I believe that my true form in necessary in order for me to return home to my cave at Mt. Hakurei. Sesshomaru," she said as she reached into her bag and removed what looked to be a rolled up slip of paper from it. She tossed it to him. " As much as I should be trying to kill you right now for trying to kill me, here. It's how to find me should The Crush reawaken."

She stepped back a ways, bowed to them all and closed her eyes. A gentle wind filled the clearing, blowing her hair around her head in a halo. Her entire body glowed brightly and the dust began to kick up around them. Everyone was forced to cover their eyes and noses to avoid breathing it in. When the dust finally settled, they all looked to see where Saeka was. Before them, stood a large, serpentine dragon with a wolf-like face, emerald eyes and the long white tendrils billowing out from either side of its nose. It had two long sandy-colored horns at the top of its head and a flowing turquoise mane rippling down its scaly white body. It stared at them with a curious look. In a voice sounding faraway, Saeka spoke to them: _Farewell, my friends. Though the journey has been long and hard for all of us, I believe that we all have learned something and I have learned that no one can help me the way I believed that Sesshomaru and his friends could. I now know that I have done all I could and all of you have learned to trust each other a little more. Perhaps, we will meet again. But should we part for good, remember my words. Life has many paths, but be sure of the path you take before you set foot on it. For once you have started down, it is almost impossible to go back._

She bent her scaly, strong legs down and shot up into the air, rippling her body to gain momentum as she burst through the trees, into the sky and out of sight.

Rin watched her go with teary eyes. " Thank you, Saeka." She murmured, wiping them absently.

A ways away, Sango looked at Miroku. " Was she really just a demon?" she whispered. Miroku looked at his friend. " I'm not too sure, Sango. But one thing is certain. We somehow helped her with some problem that she was refusing to tell us and she rewarded us with words of wisdom and a warning."

Kagome and InuYasha glanced at each other and cautiously approached Sesshomaru, still gazing up where Saeka had vanished.

" Sesshomaru. Why did you attack her? She saved your life." InuYasha said quietly. Sesshomaru's head lowered. " Because she hoped I would help her." He answered, shocking them both. Sesshomaru gestured to Rin, Jaken and Ah-Un and started off through the path. As he reached the edge of the forest, he turned to InuYasha and fixed him in a cold stare.

" Be careful." He muttered so quietly, they weren't positive he'd said anything. But InuYasha's powerful ears picked it up and he hummed low in his throat as Sesshomaru turned away and disappeared into the darkness.

" You too. Brother." He whispered to himself.

Hours later, the little group was traveling rapidly across the land. Kirara was carrying Sango and Miroku and InuYasha was carrying Shippo and Kagome on his back. Kagome couldn't help but wonder what Saeka's words had meant.

_For once you have started down, it's almost impossible to go back._ What could that have meant?

" What'cha thinking about, Kagome?" InuYasha asked.

" Huh? Oh, I was just thinking about what happened. I was wondering why Sesshomaru tried to kill Saeka. She saved him." Kagome said.

" I know. I was wondering the same thing. But I suppose it's none of our business and that we should just put it behind us. Saeka's alive still and Sesshomaru's almost recovered from whatever it was he had, so there's nothing to be concerned about. Now, do you sense any sacred jewel fragments?"

Kagome pondered over what he said. InuYasha's words made sense. Both of the demons were still alive and Saeka seemed content now, except for whatever the problem she had was. But why she needed the help of Sesshomaru, Kagome would probably never know. She sighed and faked sensation of a jewel shard.

" North." She said. They all headed in that direction and Kagome stared in the opposite direction, to the distant form of Mt. Hakurei, which for a peaceful mountain looked strangely ominous today. She silently wished Saeka farewell and turned south as the group continued on in their journey.

Rin's hand flashed down and snatched a fish from the water. " Aha! I caught one!" she cried, splashing through the stream onto the bank. She dropped the fish and rang out her kimono. Jaken was standing a few feet off. " Good catch, I suppose." He said crankily. He was still in shock from what had happened to Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru was resting beneath a tree, watching absently. He was still unable to believe that he had been healed by a half-demon with uncanny powers. He could still recall the distant voice of the healer through the foggy darkness he'd wandered in for several days until he woke up. He closed his eyes, but all he saw was the dragon-girl staring back at him. He opened them, and he was surrounded by memories of his sickness. He supposed he should be grateful that someone had decided to help him. Whoever that someone was, Saeka or the demon in disguise had made him realize that he cared about his little brother. InuYasha had stayed by him, which was surprising. Strangely enough, Sesshomaru couldn't get his mind off the past few days. The days he'd been awake, he remembered InuYasha sitting quietly by the fire, his hands in the sleeves of his red kimono. He remembered Rin sitting with him and talking to him like she sometimes did when the three of them were traveling. He recalled the young monk and the slayer playing some sort of hand game that had something to do with rocks and paper. He could recall the girl, Kagome talking with Saeka or that little fox-demon, Shippo. To his surprise, whenever he pulled out those memories, he felt warmer inside than he had in a long time.

He stood up and turned to his companions. " We're going." He said. Rin nodded, gathered up her fish and climbed on Ah-Un's back. " All right. Come on Master Jaken. We're movin' out!" she called. Jaken sighed exasperatedly. " I'm coming." He muttered.

Sesshomaru stared ahead, down the path further where Mt. Hakurei could just barely be seen over the horizon. Saeka had said she lived in a cave at the base of that mountain. Sesshomaru couldn't stop puzzling over that. If Saeka was a demon, wouldn't she be purified? But a thought struck him: what if she was already purified, but had somehow managed to keep hold of her powers? There was a faint possibility and Sesshomaru could sense it. He turned away from another path adjoining this one and headed instead, for Mt. Hakurei. Jaken noticed this. " My Lord, aren't we going the wrong way? Oh Lord Sesshomaru!" He called.

_Whack!_

" Ouch!"

Saeka sighed as she stirred the concoction in her pot atop the little fire. She added a little alicorn here and there and a pinch of Mite dust to make a cure for a common cold someone had dared to pester her about. She gazed longingly outside at the sunset. How she wished she weren't enslaved to her promise. How she longed to be free from…_him_. She cursed _his_ name for every second since they'd met. She had hoped that by helping Sesshomaru, he would in turn assist her and help her regain her freedom. She had probed his unconscious thoughts while administering the medicine, as he lay in comatose. He had mentioned something about a demon called Naraku. Maybe, instead she should consult this Naraku person. Perhaps he could be of assistance.

She stared out of her cave again as she set the pot to cool. But then again, Sesshomaru was quite a powerful demon. Not many could shatter one of her labored-over water replicas like that and with a mere sword no less. He was definitely the one she had been searching for: her savior and the one to set her free so she could finally join her mother in the netherworld.

The End?

A/N: The final chapter of The Healer! But for some reason, it won't update on my end, so I can't read my own chapters as I put them in! WAAAAHH!!!!! Oh well. This is the end of book 1. Be on the lookout for book 2, which I'll update right away. It's called, The Second Strike-Saeka's Redemption. DON'T MISS IT!!!!!


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